Speaking at the blessing and opening of the eight-story, 1,800-stall parking garage, Lingle and Brian Sekiguchi, deputy transportation director in charge of the state's airports, said the project involved 35 construction companies, led by Dick Pacific Construction, and numerous local suppliers.

Sekiguchi said initial plans called for a five-story parking structure with only 1,200 stalls.

But by working with planners and others, the state was able to increase the number of parking stalls at the airport to 6,300 from 4,500 and build a structure with “;a smaller footprint.”;

The new parking garage is between the interisland and overseas terminals, and is connected to the interisland terminal with a moving pedestrian sidewalk on the sixth floor.

Traffic can flow between the two garages at the eighth floor.

EXTRA SPACES

Stalls: 1,800

Cost: $39 million

Size: 8 stories

Fee: $10 a day

Location: Between interisland and overseas terminals

Source: State Department of Transportation

The first seven floors of parking were opened yesterday. The eighth floor will be open next month.

Sekiguchi said the new garage was started in September and is the “;lead-off batter”; in the state's plan to spend $2.3 billion to upgrade of all of its airports.

Although there has been no immediate change in the parking rate, the state is considering raising the fee. It costs $10 a day to park at the airport.